Skirt guarding attachment for armless chairs



July 30, 1.963 K. ECKENROD SKIRT GUARDING ATTACHMENT FOR ARMLESS CHAIRS Filed Dec. 5, 1960 INVENTOR zfkileez flierzrad BY W ATTORNEY Unite This invention relates to a skirt guarding attachment for chairs of the armless type, and more particularly to such an attachment for use with armless chairs of the conventional forms used by typists.

As well known, chairs used by typists in their work are necessarily armless, owing to the rather obvious fact that the presence of arms at the sides of the chair would interfere with the operation of the typewriter by being in the way of the operators forearms and elbows, thus preventing rapid manipulation of the keyboard and other moving parts of the typewriter.

In the use of such chair by women typists, particularly when wearing loose-fitting skirts or dresses at their work, they very frequently find that the lower portion of the dress or skirt reaches the floor and becomes soiled, and very often, torn or otherwise damaged by being caught under the rollers or casters of the chair in the movement of the latter during use. The occurrence of such soiling or damage is annoying as well as costly, particularly when the users skirt or dress becomes torn.

Most women typists endeavor to avoid this difficulty either by sitting on a gathered or bunched-up portion of the skirt or dress, or by maintaining a gathered or bunched-up portion at the front of the dress or skirt in their laps when occupying the seated position. Neither of these precautions, however, has been a satisfactory solution of the problem. In the case of the one first mentioned, the garment becomes wrinkled and unsightly by reason of the user having sat upon the gathered or bunched-up portion. Moreover, in actual daily work, the taking of either precaution is often overlooked, particularly when the work of the typst entails frequently arising from and resuming the seated position on the chair.

In order to avoid these difliculties, some women typists resort to wearing only short or tight-fitting skirts at work, even though they would prefer not to do so, particularly in the summertime when loose-fitting skirts and dresses are more cool and comfortable.

Accordingly, the principal object of the invention is to provide a device for detachable engagement with the seat of the conventional forms of typist chairs, and constructed so as to enable fluffy or loose-fitting styles of skirts and dresses to be worn by women typists while working on the conventional forms of typist chairs without encountering the difficulties above-mentioned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for achieving that purpose, constructed and dimensioned so that when in operative position, there will be no hindrance to the normal operation of the typewriting machine, whether the machine is supported on a typewriting desk or on a supporting shelf or landing built into some modern secretarial desks.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated, which will have no sharp edges or corners on which the users skirt or dress can catch or snag.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character above set forth, which may readily be stored away, when not in use, in a relatively small space, such as a desk drawer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more clearly apparent from the detailed description below, and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

States Patent "ice FIG. 1 is a view, in front elevation, of one conventional form of typist chair, showing the device embodying the invention in operative position thereon, and depicting in fragmentary, phantom outline, the manner in which the dress or skirt of a female typist will normally become arranged when she occupies the seat of the chair;

FIG. 2 is :a view in plan, showing the device attached in operative position to the seat of a conventional typists chair; and

FIG. 3 is a View, in top perspective view of the device.

Stated generally, the objects of the invention are achieved by means of a pair of substantially identical devices, each constructed and arranged for detachable engagement with one side of the chair seat, and each consisting essentially of a one-piece member of generally inverted U-shaped, each of the legs of the U-shaped member being formed at its free end with resilient clip means for engaging one of the side margins of the chair seat, and the legs being so shaped and dimensioned that the bridging or connecting portion of the U-shaped member will be disposed laterally outward of, and in a plane above the plane of, the chair seat when the device is in operative engagement with the seat.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, numeral 10 indicates, generally, a conventional swivel type of chair used by typists, and which may comprise a 4-legged pedestal base 11 fitted with suitable caster wheels 12, and supporting the seat 13 at adjustable seat heights as by means of a threaded center post 14. Numeral 15 designates the cushion or padding with which such seats are usually provided. The back rest of the chair may be of any conventional construction, such as that indicated in dotted outline at 17 in FIGS. 11 and 2.

In accordance with the invention, the skirt guarding means comprises a pair of one-piece members 20, each constructed for detachable engagement with one of the marginal side edges of the chair seat.

The members 20 may be made of any suitable metallic material, or of suitable plastic material, which may be suitably drawn, extruded or otherwise formed into rods or tubes and bent to the shape or configuration hereinafter described.

According to the invention, exemplified by the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, each of the members 20 is made of generally inverted U-shape form, comprising a bridging portion 21, of a length of, say, 7 to 10 inches, and legs 22. Each of the legs 22 comprises a portion 23 extending inwardly at a slight angle with respect to the ends of the bridging portion 21 and in a plane extending downwardly at an angle with respect to the plane of the bridging portion. The angle of downward inclination of the plane in which the portions 23 extend may suitably be from 20 to 45, preferably 30 degrees. The portions 23 may each suitably be of a length of from 2 to 3 inches.

At the outer end of the portion 23, each of the legs 22 is bent to form a downwardly extending portion 24, 25, lying in a plane substantially parallel to a vertical plane extending through the longitudinal axis of the bridging portion 21. Thus, as Will be seen, the portions 23 of the legs extend upwardly and outwardly, at an angle of 20 to 45, preferably 30 degrees, from the upper ends of the portions 24, 25. The length of the portions 24, 25 is such that their upper ends will be disposed at or slightly above the top of the cushion 15 when the device is attached in operative position to the chair seat.

In accordance with the invention, the free end of each of the portions 24, 25 is formed in such a way as to provide resilient clip means tor attaching the member 20 to a marginal side edge of the chair seat 13. As will be apparent, such clip means may take various forms. In the specific embodiment illustrated, it consists of a flattened portion extending outwardly as shown at 26 and a return bent portion as shown at 27, for seizing around the flange or other edge portion 28 of the chair seat. As will now be seen, when one of the devices 20 is thus attached at each side of the chair seat, the crossbar or bridging portion 21 of each of them will be disposed laterally outward with respect to the side edges of the chair seat and in a plane above the plane of the chair seat at a distance depending upon the length of the portions 24, 25 and upon the lengths and angle of inclination of the portions 23. Thus, for example, when the portions 23 are of a length of 2 /2 inches and exitend upwardly at an angle of 30 degrees from the upper end of the portions 24, 25, the crossbar or bridging member 21 will be disposed approximately 2% inches outwardly with respect to the side edge of the chair seat and at a height approximately 1% inch above the cushion or padding 15. In this way, when the chair with the devices 20 attached at each side thereof, is being used by a female typist, her dress or skirt automatically becomes draped at each sidev over the respective cross-bars or bridging portions 21 of the members 20, somewhat in the manner indicated in phantom outline in FIG. 1, when she occupies the normal seated position on the chair. At'the same time, by reason of the location of the cross-bars or bridging pontions 21 and the leg portions 22 f the device, there is no interference with the movement of her arms or elbows in operating a typewriting machine at her attained or accustomed speed.

As will :be further apparent, the members 21 may readily be removed irom their attachment at the sides of the chair by means of the resilient clips. Removal of the devices from attachment to the chair may be desirable, though not essential, at those seasons of the year or or on those occasions when the user of the chair is not wearing a dress or skirt whose lower end would normally reach the door. When not in use, the devices may be stored away in a relatively small space, such as in a desk drawer.

Although as shown in the drawing, the devices at each side or the chair are identical with one other, it will be understood that in those instances where the device is to be used with chairs whose seats are of a surface contour or outline varying substantially from front to back of the seat, it may be desirable to dorm the device in sets of two, one for use on the right hand side, and the other for use on the left hand side of the chair seat, by suitably modifying the portions 24, 25 and their associated clip means so as to be accommodartalble to the contour of the chair seat.

As will be further noted, the construction of the device is such that there are no sharp edges or corners to catch and snag or snip the dress or skirt of the user.

What I claim is:

1. An attachment for an armless chair Of the type used by typists, consisting essentially of a one-piece, generally U-shaped member cEor detachable engagement with the seat of such a chair, each leg of said U-shaped member comprising a portion extending inwardly with respect to the ends of the bridging portion of said U-shaped member and in a plane extending downwardly at an angle with respect to the plane of said bridging portion of the 'U-shaped member, the free end of each leg being formed with resilient means for engagement with one of the lateral margins of the chair seat, said portions of the legs being dimensioned and said angle of downward inclination of said portions or the legs being such that said bridging portion will be disposed 4 substantially parallel to and laterally outward with respect to the side edges of the chair seat and in a plane above the plane of the chair seat when said resilient means are engaged with said margin of the seat.

2. An attachment for an armless chair of the type used by typists, consisting essentially of a one-piece, generally U-shaped member for detachable engagement with the seat of such a chair, each leg of said U-shaped member comprising a first portion extending inwardly with respect to the ends of the bridging portion of said U-shaped member and in a plane extending downwardly at an angle with respect to the plane of said bridging portion of the U-shaped member, and a second portion extending downwardly from the end of said first portion, the free end of each second portion being formed with resilient means for engagement with one of the lateral margins of the chair seat, said first-named portions of the legs being dimensioned and said angle of downward inclinaiton of said first-named portions of the legs being such that said bridging portion will be disposed substantially parallel to and laterally outward with respect to the side edges of the chair seat and in a plane above the plane of the chair seat when said resilient means are engaged with said margin of the seat.

3. An attachment for an armless chair of the type used by typists, consisting essentially of a one-piece, generally U-shaped member for detachable engagement with the seat of such a chair, said U-shaped member comprising a bridging portion of a length less than the transverse dimension of the seat of the conventional typists chair, and a leg portion extending generally transversely at each end of said bridging portion, each of said leg portions comprising a pontion lying in a plane extending down- 'wandly at an angle of from about twenty to forty-five degrees with respect to the plane of said bridging portion, the free end of each leg portion being formed with resilient clip means for engagement with one of the lateral mangins of the chair seat, the length of said inclined portions being such that said bridging portion will be disposed at a height of about two to three inches above and a distance of several inches outward from the side edge of the chair seat when said clip means are in engagement with the lateral margin of the chair seat.

4. Means for preventing the lower end of the skirt of a wearer, seated on an armless chair, from reaching the floor, said means consisting of a pair of one-piece, generally U-shaped members, each for detachable engagement with the seat of the chair, each of said members comprising a leg portion extending inwardly with respect to each of the ends of the bridging portion of said U-shaped member and in a plane extending downwardly at an angle of about twenty to forty-five degrees with respect to the plane of said bridging portion of the U-shaped member, the (free end of each leg portion being [formed with resilient means for engagement with one of the lateral margins of the chair seat, said leg portions being dimensioned so as to dispose said bridging portion laterally outward with respect to said margin and in a plane above the plane of the chair seat when said resilient means are engaged with said margin of the chair seat. i

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 725,586 Pool Apr. 14, 1903 2,224,247 Bentz Dec. 10, 1940 2,266,266 Ritter Dec. 16, 1941 2,375,374 Lepp May 8, 1945 2,843,196 Schauer July 15, 1958 2,843,230 Nelsson c July 15, 1958 

1. AN ATTACHMENT FOR AN ARMLESS CHAIR OF THE TYPE USED BY TYPISTS, CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A ONE-PIECE, GENERALLY U-SHAPED MEMBER FOR DETACHABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SEAT OF SUCH A CHAIR, EACH LEG OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBER COMPRISING A PORTION EAXTENDING INWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO THE ENDS OF THE BIDGING PORTION OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBER AND IN A PLANE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE PLANE OF SAID BRIDGING PORTION OF THE U-SHAPED MEMBER, THE FREE END OF EACH LEG BEING FORMED WITH RESILIENT MEANS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF THE LATERAL MARGINS OF THE CHAIR SEAT, SAID PORTIONS OF THE LEGS BEING DIMENSIONED AND SAID ANGLE OF DOWNWARD INCLINATION OF SAID PORTIONS OF THE LEGS BEING SUCH THAT SAID BRIDGING PORTION WILL BE DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND LATERALLY OUTWARD WITH RESPECT TO THE SIDE EDGES OF THE CHAIR SEAT AND IN A PLANE ABOVE THE PLANE OF THE CHAIR SEAT WHEN SAID RESILIENT MEANS ARE ENGAGED WITH SAID MARGIN OF THE SEAT. 